In a data communication network, each node may be a piece of equipment and each piece of equipment may be referred to as a host. Some hosts may have unique identifiers recognized by networking protocols. For example, a router may have an IP address that may be used by networking protocols such as TCP/IP. But some network hosts may have no unique identifier recognized by networking protocols. For example, an Optical Add-drop Multiplexer (OADM) in an optical signaling network may have no identifier that may be used by a networking protocol. Networking protocols may not identify a host when the host has no unique host identifier.
These and other embodiments and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the various exemplary embodiments.